Chris Davidson Photography
BoWax-1968-j
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Supposedly the original "Bohemians" were travelers or refuges from central Europe. This species is therefore true to it's name and was in fact well named.
During the winter and non breeding seasons they travel in large groups in search of fruit.
Here are some interesting Waxwing facts from the "Cool Science Blog" page located in the link below, if you have an interest...
blog.nature.org/science/2017/02/27/waxwings-really-have-w...
"Waxwings really have wax wing tips. The bright red, visible on the wing feathers of some waxwings, is actually waxy red secretions. The red wax tips are appendages on the bird’s secondary feathers. They’re colored by astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment.
While it was originally thought that the red tips functioned to protect the feathers from wear and tear, there is little to no evidence for this hypothesis.
Rather, the red secondary tips appear to be status signals that function in mate selection.
Interestingly, the red appendages of both Waxwing species increase in number and size with a bird’s age: individuals with zero to five waxy tips are thought to be more immature birds, while those with greater than nine are thought to be older.
Individuals within these two categories tend to associate as mates. Pairs of older birds (those with greater than nine waxy tips) nest earlier and raise more young than do immature birds, suggesting that this plumage characteristic is an important signal in mate choice and social organization.
Most of this information comes from a wonderfully informative article..... By Matt Miller I've enclosed the link below and it's a wonderful read for anyone who has interest in both Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings."
From "Waxwings Really Have Wax Wings"
BY MATT MILLER
BoWax-1968-j
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Supposedly the original "Bohemians" were travelers or refuges from central Europe. This species is therefore true to it's name and was in fact well named.
During the winter and non breeding seasons they travel in large groups in search of fruit.
Here are some interesting Waxwing facts from the "Cool Science Blog" page located in the link below, if you have an interest...
blog.nature.org/science/2017/02/27/waxwings-really-have-w...
"Waxwings really have wax wing tips. The bright red, visible on the wing feathers of some waxwings, is actually waxy red secretions. The red wax tips are appendages on the bird’s secondary feathers. They’re colored by astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment.
While it was originally thought that the red tips functioned to protect the feathers from wear and tear, there is little to no evidence for this hypothesis.
Rather, the red secondary tips appear to be status signals that function in mate selection.
Interestingly, the red appendages of both Waxwing species increase in number and size with a bird’s age: individuals with zero to five waxy tips are thought to be more immature birds, while those with greater than nine are thought to be older.
Individuals within these two categories tend to associate as mates. Pairs of older birds (those with greater than nine waxy tips) nest earlier and raise more young than do immature birds, suggesting that this plumage characteristic is an important signal in mate choice and social organization.
Most of this information comes from a wonderfully informative article..... By Matt Miller I've enclosed the link below and it's a wonderful read for anyone who has interest in both Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings."
From "Waxwings Really Have Wax Wings"
BY MATT MILLER